Vintage Nadal ousts teenager in epic battle
SETS UP LAST 16 BATTLE WITH MONFILS
Rafael Nadal held back time, for one match at least, when he rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2 win over German teenager Alexander Zverev to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open.
The 14-time major winner is on a comeback after an extended injury layoff, yet he finished stronger in the 4-hour, 6-minute match on Rod Laver Arena as Zverev tightened up with cramping and nerves.
“I enjoyed a lot this great battle. I was losing the last couple of times in the fifth set and I said to myself, ‘today’s the day’,” said ninth-seeded Nadal, who had lost eight of the previous nine times he’d trailed 2-1 in a best-of-five set match.
His 30-year-old legs, conditioned by 236 Grand Slam matches, carried him all the way.
“Well, fighting — and running a lot,” Nadal said, when asked to explain the difference. “I think you know, everybody knows how good Alexander is — he’s the future of our sport and the present, too.”
Milos Raonic is here pursuing his first major title, aiming to improve on his runs to the semi-finals in Australia and the final at Wimbledon last year. He reached the fourth round with a 6-2, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3 win over No. 25 Gilles Simon and will next play No. 13 Roberto Bautista Agut, who beat David Ferrer 7-5, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (3), 6-4.
Nadal will get another veteran next after US Open semi-finalist Gael Monfils beat Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 7-6 (1), 6-4.
Men’s singles Third round
Dominic Thiem (AUT x8) bt Benoit Paire (FRA) 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 David Goffin (BEL x11) bt Ivo Karlovic (CRO x20) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 Roberto Bautista (ESP x13) bt David Ferrer (ESP x21) 7-5, 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 Denis Istomin (UZB) bt Pablo CarrenoBusta (ESP x30) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 Rafael Nadal (ESP x9) bt Alexander Zverev (GER x24) 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-2 Gael Monfils (FRA x6) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x32) 6-3, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 Milos Raonic (CAN) bt Gilles Simon (FRA) 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-3
Women’s singles Third round
Jennifer Brady (USA) bt Elena Vesnina (RUS x14) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) bt Maria Sakkari (GRE) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 Ekaterina Makarova (RUS x30) bt Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x6) 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3 Barbora Strycova (CZE x16) bt Caroline Garcia (FRA x21) 6-2, 7-5 Serena Williams (USA x2) bt Nicole Gibbs (USA) 6-1, 6-3 Johanna Konta (GBR x9) bt Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x17) 6-3, 6-1
In another gripping fivesetter, but on an outside court, wild card entry Denis Istomin followed his upset win over defending champion Novak Djokovic with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Pablo Carreno Busta.
In early women’s matches, Ekaterina Makarova led by a set and 4-0 but had a mid-match fade, needing three sets and almost three hours to finally beat WTA Finals champion Dominika Cibulkova 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-3.
“An amazing fight,” Makarova said of her first win over sixth-seeded Cibulkova, the 2014 finalist at Melbourne Park.